Ban Irresponsibility not breeds

Since 2005 in Ontario, owning a pitbull in has been prohibited by the government through breed-specific legislation (BSL). Under Legislative Bill 132, a pitbull is defined as a pitbull terrier, a Staffordshire bull terrier, an American Staffordshire bull terrier, an American pitbull terrier, or a dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar to those dogs.

Please support pitbulls by supporting Bill 16, which calls for a repeal of the ban.

A dog fitting the above vague description is automatically destroyed or sent to a research facility. This includes anyone driving through Ontario; their family canine can be seized and killed.

A "dangerous" dog should be labeled such on the basis of behavior, not breed as it is quite possible for a dog of ANY breed to be aggressive and bite. Negligent owners raise violent dogs; violence is not a matter of genetics or breed. A ban on certain tyes of dogs is discriminating and penalizes responsible owners for their personal choice of breed.

I wrote this petition for my friend Karen and as a tribute to two wonderful dogs she had, Puppins and Chase. Puppins was an Americian Pit Bull Terrier; Chase was a Bull Mastiff/Pit Bull mix. Puppins was a gentle soul who was born deaf. They were going to euthanize him; they said he was aggressive. But Puppins would never hurt anything. He was afraid of butterflies & bugs & his own farts; he was a total love bug. I rescued Chase from the Humane Society. He was a love bug too. He was frightened of everything because he had been abused & left in his crate for the first 6 months of his life. Both dogs had to be muzzled every time they were outside and were not allowed to go anywhere, not even the dog park.

This is what Karen wrote about her dogs: "Pitbulls are dogs, some people seem to forget. They are being reduced to their breed and treated as if they were dangerous weapons. They are loving and caring for their owners, having a heart and soul like every living creature on this planet and they should be treated as this. One must not discriminate against these dogs simply because their owners are unable to lead them properly; dogs need love but also occupation. Many have been severely beaten or tortured for years. In order to have at least some rest they gnash their teeth first to show 'stay away but man feels superior, clever and then even the smallest dog would bite. This is why these dogs are used for fights and torture. The government should punish these people and not the dogs; instead, it ends up killing the dogs. Stop this witch hunt, and let pitbulls be what they are, loving dogs that would give their lives for their owners. Ensure that they are placed only with responsible and animal loving people.

We ask Ontario to stop targeting innocent dogs and their owners, and end breed-specific legislation that bans or restricts certain types of dogs based on their appearance.

Promote responsible dog ownership and public safety through education- not discrimination. Support Bill 16, a bill to repeal the ban.

Please support pitbulls and show you love for those dogs by sending a letter to the address below.Thank you.